


Tom and Julian's Excellent Adventure

by kronette



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-02
Updated: 2013-01-02
Packaged: 2017-11-23 07:39:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/619677
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kronette/pseuds/kronette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little Tom Paris was bored. The great Captain Paris was the center of attention again. The Saratoga had just dropped them off at a celebration of the peace talks with the Zenkethi. Another successful round, headed by Ambassador Bashir.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tom and Julian's Excellent Adventure

Little Tom Paris was bored. The great Captain Paris was the center of attention again. The Saratoga had just dropped them off at a celebration of the peace talks with the Zenkethi. Another successful round, headed by Ambassador Bashir. It was only a minor treaty, an agreement between the Zenkethi and the Federation, but one that opened borders wider into "deep space" - the unknown.

Tom, dressed in his formal clothes, was seated over by a window, staring out at the bright, clear day. The grown-ups ignored him, as usual. His father was too busy rubbing elbows, as usual. He sighed and rested his chin on his fist. And as usual, he was left to fend for himself. Entertain himself. He sighed and let his gaze wander around the room.

He spotted a boy about his age enter with a tall, graceful woman. She glided rather than walked across the room, the boy in tow. Tom admitted to no one that he liked girls, but she was gorgeous. Long dark hair done up in an elaborate weave. Almond- shaped green eyes set above high cheekbones. Exotic, dark skin, covered here and there by a flowing gown, the jade coloring making her eyes that much more startling green.

But his attention quickly shifted to the boy. He had the same coloring as his mother, though his huge eyes were dark brown. His face was carefully drawn into a polite smile, but Tom knew better - he could see the same look on his face. The kid was as bored as he was. He desperately wanted to talk to the boy, but Legs dragged him over to the knot of bigwigs and began speaking with Ambassador Bashir. Ah - so that's who it was. Bashir's kid. At least he had a place to start. But his mom kept him close, never letting him a step away from him. The boy's big brown eyes were sweeping the room - looking for an escape route, no doubt. Tom snorted. He knew there was no escape, but he could sympathize. He was glad his father chose to just leave him alone. The kid's face was getting pinched - he wanted out of there.

Tom stood up, directly in the kid's line of sight. He turned those huge, dark eyes to him, lighting up as he discovered Tom. His face fell as he raised his eyes to his mother in a helpless manner. Tom allowed his sympathy to show, though it did little good. Tom shoved his hands in his pockets and turned back to the window, sighing heavily as the wide open space called to him. He didn't know how long he stood there, the low buzz of conversation a dull background noise, before he felt a soft tap on his shoulder. He turned around and stared directly into those dark eyes. He swallowed.

The other boy swept his gaze over him, seeming to read him on the spot. "Hi," he said quietly, his accent barely noticeable. He immediately looked around, shuffling his feet.

"Hi," Tom replied confidently. "I'm Tom." He didn't care how shy this other kid was, he was someone.

Big Eyes looked at him again. "Julian. I'm Ju-Julian." He half-heartedly extended his hand.

Tom stared at it, then laughed.

Big Eyes filled with tears and he turned away.

Tom stopped laughing. "Julian, I'm sorry. Don't go." He put his hand on one of the thin shoulders.

Julian did stop, but didn't turn around.

"Don't you know the difference between friends-meeting and business-meeting? You only shake hands with them," Tom indicated the stuffy grown-ups with a scornfully jerked thumb.

Julian turned around then, a bright smile flashing against his dark skin. "Mother said I had to be nice to you, since you're Captain Paris's son."

"Oh, lucky me," Tom snorted. "If you came over here for that, you can leave. I've had enough friends like that to last me a lifetime."

"I never said I was going to listen to my mother," Julian whispered conspiratorially, a wild twinkle in his eyes.

Tom looked at him disbelievingly. "You were hanging around her. She kept you pretty close earlier."

Julian let out a deep sigh. "She worries about me all the time. She hates all these different planets," he confided.

"So why does she come along?" Tom wanted to know.

"Why are you here?" Julian countered.

The two boys stared at one another, finding a kindred spirit.

"Do you think she'll notice if you disappear?"

Julian looked scared. His eyes got bigger, and he started to stutter. "I ca-can't ju-just disapp-pear. I'll get in trouble."

Tom rolled his eyes. "I don't mean disappear forever! Can't you just come to my quarters? Or go to yours? What do you have to play with?"

"I've got some puzzles," Julian admitted.

"Two can't play puzzles. Don't you want to go outside?

Aren't you tired of being stuck in here?" Tom wheedled. He was good at that - getting his way.

Julian looked perplexed, gnawing on his lower lip. "I don't know. Mother said..."

"Geez, can't you think without your mother's approval?"

Tom sneered. "You're a mama's boy!"

"Am not!" Julian cried, flushing hotly.

"Am too," Tom taunted. "Betcha you're afraid to even ask if you can play with me."

"Am not!" Julian cried, hot tears stinging his eyes.

Tom saw he had hurt his new friend. "Julian, I'll go with you, okay? My dad don't care what I do - we can just go to your quarters, okay?" His blue eyes were full of sorrow.

Julian sniffled, trying to stretch taller, and, he hoped, braver. "You can come if you want to." He took long strides over to his mother, which Tom had problems keeping up with. They stood side by side at Mrs. Bashir's right until she noticed them.

"Why Jules, did you make a new friend?" she asked, smiling sweetly at Tom, a smile he immediately knew was fake. His father used it all the time around him.

"Ye-yes," Julian stammered. "Can I take Tom back to our quarters and play?" he asked softly.

Her eyes narrowed and she started to say something when Captain Paris interrupted. "Tommy boy!" he exclaimed, clapping his son on the shoulder. "I see you've met Bashir's kid. It's so hard for them to find someone their own age, isn't it?" He addressed his question to Mrs. Bashir, who stared at him through slitted eyes. "Yes, it is," she replied coldly.

"Well, Julian, are you enjoying yourself?" Ambassador Bashir cut into the conversation, having heard the tail end of the conversation. He slid his arm around his wife's slender shoulders, pulling her close. "It looks like our kids are hitting it off quite well, wouldn't you say?"

"Yes indeed," Captain Paris answered, smiling broadly.

Both Julian and Tom were fairly squirming from embarrassment. Julian looked up at his mother with his big, pleading eyes. "Mother, can we go?" he almost whispered.

Out of the corner of his eye, Tom caught Mr. Bashir squeezing his wife's shoulder a bit too hard, and she winced. "Of course you can Jules. But stay in our quarters, okay?"

Julian knew an order when he heard one. "Yes Mother," he complied meekly.

"Go on, have fun," Captain Paris clapped his son's back hard, and Tom had to struggle to stay upright.

Turning away from Tom, Julian left the reception hall and headed for the nearest turbolift. Tom followed as quickly as he could. They entered the `lift in silence, Julian punching the fourth floor.

Tom said quietly, "You don't like that, do you?"

Julian's head snapped around. "Like what?"

"Your mother's name for you."

Julian slumped dejectedly. "No," he answered softly. "Do you like yours?" he asked.

"No," Tom answered with disgust. They shared a conspiratorial look. Again that kindred spirit flowed around both of them, and they burst out laughing. "Ya wanna to see the spaceport?" Tom asked, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

"You know where it is?" Julian asked, all hesitation leaving in his excitement. "We didn't even get to land here. We were just transported down."

"Sure I do. I wanna be a pilot when I grow up. I know everything there is to know about spacecraft," Tom boasted.

Julian snorted. "You can't know everything."

"Can too!" Tom protested, his voice cracking.

Julian smirked. "Can not. What's the maximum warp capacity of a four person shuttle?"

Tom racked his brain, trying hard to remember what he had read. "Um...I don't know," he admitted.

Julian's face bloomed into a smile. "Neither do I. Let's ask at the spaceport."

They changed the direction of the lift and started their trek to the spaceport, and their adventure. They left the reception hall and started across a huge meadow, watching as small shuttles and personal hovercraft landed in the distance.

"So, what do you wanna do?" Tom asked as they kicked through the grass.

"When?"

"When you grow up."

Julian sighed wistfully. "Tennis. I've practiced for years, and I've won a few tourneys..." his face fell, "but my parents don't like me playing."

Tom picked up a rock and tossed it. "My dad doesn't want me to be a pilot, either."

"What about your mom?" Julian asked, climbing over a large rock and dropping down the other side.

"We don't talk about her," Tom said curtly. "She's dead."

"Oh." Silence fell over the two young boys as they continued. Over a rise they saw it - the spaceport. Both stood in awe.

"Wow," Julian gasped.

"Wow," Tom breathed, eyes getting big, taking in the sights.

They strode casually up to the pad, their eyes full of the different shuttles, spacecraft, aliens and `Fleeters. "I wanna be in Starfleet," Tom admitted. "I wanna fly a starship."

"I wanna meet all those different people," Julian said, his face animated. "Did you see them all?"

"Not well enough. Let's go," Tom pulled at his sleeve. "Last one there is a Dragalian Mammoth!" he yelled as he took off, Julian close at his heels.

Time was forgotten as the two boys drank up the sites of the spaceport. The completely alien feel, the non-humanoids, ambassadors, regular travelers, hustlers, and assorted riff-raff all held their attention for hours. A surprising amount of people stopped to talk to them, answer their endless questions and give them directions. One kindly older woman even allowed them a brief tour of the control tower. They were having so much fun they didn't notice the time, until first one sun, then two, started down the horizon.

"Uh-oh. It's almost dark. We better get back," Tom worried.

Julian's enthusiasm and good cheer disappeared, and he grew quiet. "Oh. I'm gonna be in trouble."

Tom saw the fear on his face. "Will you get in trouble?" he asked in a whisper.

Julian gulped. "Pro'ly." He stood straighter. "That doesn't scare me."

"Me either," Tom put on a brave front. They started back to the hotel, walking faster, then running. Just outside the hotel, they paused to catch their breaths.

"I probably can't talk to you tomorrow," Julian said sorrowfully.

"I know," Tom said. "But remember, we got the answer we wanted."

Julian smiled briefly. "Three point eight."

"Maximum warp on a four person shuttle," Tom confirmed.

He sobered. "Thanks Julian. I'm gonna miss you."

Julian's eyes filled. "Gonna miss you too."

With a cheeky grin, Tom extended his hand.

Smiling, Julian grasped it. "I hope you get to pilot a ship someday," Julian said.

"And I hope you win all the tennis tournaments," Tom replied. He let go of Julian's hand, and the two of them parted company at the lift.

"Three point eight," Julian muttered.

"I'm sorry? What was that Julian?" Miles O'Brien asked, setting down his coffee and craning his neck to see the PADD in the doctor's hand.

Julian put the PADD down on the table, his expressive brown eyes sorrowful. "Nothing, Chief. I was just thinking to myself."

"About what?" Miles prodded, noticing that Julian held the PADD in a death-grip.

"Oh, what the maximum warp of a four person shuttle is," Julian answered, his attention focused once again on the PADD in front of him.

"Why would you be concerned about that?" Miles wanted to know.

"Never mind Chief," Julian snapped, rising and leaving the engineer staring after him.

Julian went to his quarters, securing the door behind him. Standing in the wash of stars from his port, he stared out in the direction of the Badlands. "Well Tom, you finally got to pilot a ship. I'm so sorry you didn't get to enjoy it for very long," he whispered into the air, his eyes filling with tears.

Across 77,000 light years, Tom Paris lay awake, staring at the ceiling. "Well, Tom, you finally got to pilot a starship. Too bad this had to get screwed up, too." His thoughts returned to his childhood, to a time he had almost forgotten. And then more thoughts intruded on those thoughts...

"Julian, I'm sorry you didn't get to be that big tennis pro, but I hope you enjoy what you're doing. You're helping people. You're doing something important with your life. I hope you enjoy it." Across the cold, heartless expanse of space, both Julian and Tom wished each other good-night.

The End


End file.
